# Billing & Credits

> Understand the credit system, manage your subscription, and track messaging costs

Source: https://edesy.in/docs/waflow/settings/billing

Waflow uses a credit-based system for WhatsApp messaging. This guide explains how credits work, how to purchase them, and how to manage your billing effectively.

## Understanding the Credit System

Credits are the currency used in Waflow for sending WhatsApp messages. Each message type consumes a specific number of credits based on the conversation category and recipient location.

### How Credits Work

When you send a message through Waflow:

1. Credits are deducted from your balance
2. The amount depends on message type and destination
3. Failed messages do not consume credits
4. Credits are restored if delivery fails

### Message Categories

WhatsApp classifies conversations into four categories, each with different credit costs:

| Category | Description | Credit Cost |
|----------|-------------|-------------|
| **Marketing** | Promotional messages, offers, announcements | Highest |
| **Utility** | Transactional updates, order confirmations | Medium |
| **Authentication** | OTPs, verification codes | Low |
| **Service** | Customer-initiated conversations | Lowest |

> **Note:** WhatsApp determines the conversation category based on your message template. Choosing the right category can significantly reduce costs.

### Conversation-Based Pricing

WhatsApp uses conversation-based pricing:

- A **conversation** is a 24-hour window
- All messages within that window count as one conversation
- You pay per conversation, not per message
- Different entry points have different costs

**Conversation Entry Points:**

| Entry Point | Description | Window |
|-------------|-------------|--------|
| Business-initiated | You send first message | 24 hours |
| User-initiated | Customer messages first | 24 hours |
| Free entry points | Ads, QR codes | 72 hours free |

## Pricing Structure

### Credit Costs by Region

Costs vary by recipient location:

| Region | Marketing | Utility | Authentication | Service |
|--------|-----------|---------|----------------|---------|
| India | 1.0 credits | 0.5 credits | 0.3 credits | 0.3 credits |
| United States | 2.5 credits | 1.0 credits | 0.8 credits | 0.5 credits |
| United Kingdom | 2.0 credits | 0.9 credits | 0.7 credits | 0.5 credits |
| Brazil | 1.5 credits | 0.6 credits | 0.4 credits | 0.4 credits |
| Other regions | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |

> **Tip:** Check the full pricing table in your dashboard under **Settings** > **Billing** > **Pricing** for accurate costs by country.

### Credit Packages

Purchase credits in packages:

| Package | Credits | Price | Per Credit |
|---------|---------|-------|------------|
| Starter | 1,000 | $25 | $0.025 |
| Growth | 5,000 | $100 | $0.020 |
| Business | 25,000 | $400 | $0.016 |
| Enterprise | 100,000 | $1,200 | $0.012 |

**Volume Discounts:**
- 5,000+ credits: 20% discount
- 25,000+ credits: 36% discount
- 100,000+ credits: 52% discount

## Usage Tracking

Monitor your credit consumption in real-time.

### Dashboard Overview

The billing dashboard shows:

- Current credit balance
- Credits used this period
- Remaining credits
- Usage trend chart

### Usage Breakdown

View detailed usage:

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Usage**
2. Filter by:
   - Date range
   - Campaign
   - Message category
   - Region
3. View consumption patterns

### Usage by Campaign

Track credits per campaign:

| Campaign | Messages | Credits Used | Avg per Message |
|----------|----------|--------------|-----------------|
| Summer Sale | 5,000 | 5,000 | 1.0 |
| Order Confirmations | 12,000 | 6,000 | 0.5 |
| Welcome Series | 3,000 | 3,000 | 1.0 |

### Alerts and Notifications

Set up usage alerts:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Alerts**
2. Configure thresholds:
   - Low balance warning (e.g., 1,000 credits remaining)
   - Daily limit exceeded
   - Unusual spending patterns
3. Choose notification method (email, in-app, SMS)

## Purchasing Credits

### One-Time Purchase

Buy credits when needed:

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Purchase Credits**
2. Select a credit package
3. Enter quantity
4. Review total
5. Click **Purchase**
6. Complete payment
7. Credits added immediately

### Auto-Refill

Never run out of credits:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Auto-Refill**
2. Enable auto-refill
3. Configure:
   - Trigger threshold (e.g., below 500 credits)
   - Refill amount (credits to purchase)
   - Maximum monthly refills
4. Add payment method
5. Save settings

> **Tip:** Auto-refill prevents campaign interruptions. Set the threshold high enough to cover your typical daily usage.

### Payment Methods

Accepted payment options:

| Method | Availability | Auto-Refill |
|--------|--------------|-------------|
| Credit/Debit Card | All regions | Yes |
| PayPal | Most regions | Yes |
| Bank Transfer | Enterprise only | No |
| UPI | India | No |
| Net Banking | India | No |

### Managing Payment Methods

Add or update payment methods:

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Payment Methods**
2. Add new method or edit existing
3. Set default payment method
4. Remove unused methods

## Subscription Plans

In addition to credits, Waflow offers subscription plans with platform features.

### Plan Comparison

| Feature | Free | Starter | Growth | Business | Enterprise |
|---------|------|---------|--------|----------|------------|
| Monthly Credits | 100 | 1,000 | 5,000 | 25,000 | Custom |
| Team Members | 1 | 3 | 10 | 25 | Unlimited |
| Workspaces | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | Unlimited |
| Automations | 2 | 10 | 50 | 200 | Unlimited |
| Templates | 5 | 25 | 100 | 500 | Unlimited |
| API Access | No | Limited | Full | Full | Full |
| Support | Community | Email | Priority | Dedicated | Premium |

### Upgrading Your Plan

Upgrade to unlock more features:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Plan**
2. Click **Upgrade**
3. Select new plan
4. Review changes
5. Confirm upgrade
6. Changes take effect immediately

### Downgrading

Reduce your plan:

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Plan**
2. Click **Change Plan**
3. Select lower plan
4. Review limitations
5. Confirm downgrade
6. Changes take effect at next billing cycle

> **Warning:** Downgrading may disable features you currently use. Review the limitations carefully before confirming.

## Invoices and Receipts

### Accessing Invoices

View and download invoices:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Invoices**
2. View list of all invoices
3. Filter by date or status
4. Click to view details
5. Download as PDF

### Invoice Details

Each invoice includes:

- Invoice number and date
- Billing period
- Itemized charges
- Credits purchased
- Subscription fees
- Taxes applied
- Total amount
- Payment status

### Billing Information

Update your billing details:

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Billing Info**
2. Update:
   - Company name
   - Billing address
   - Tax ID / GST number
   - Contact email
3. Save changes
4. New invoices will use updated info

### Tax Information

Waflow handles taxes based on your location:

| Region | Tax | Rate |
|--------|-----|------|
| India | GST | 18% |
| EU | VAT | Country-specific |
| US | Sales Tax | State-specific |
| Others | Varies | Location-based |

## Spending Controls

Protect your budget with spending controls.

### Budget Limits

Set maximum spending:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Limits**
2. Configure:
   - Daily limit
   - Weekly limit
   - Monthly limit
3. Choose action when limit reached:
   - Pause sending
   - Notify only
   - Require approval

### Campaign Budgets

Set per-campaign limits:

1. When creating a campaign
2. Enable **Budget Limit**
3. Set maximum credits for campaign
4. Campaign pauses when limit reached

### Approval Workflows

Require approval for large sends:

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Approvals**
2. Enable approval workflow
3. Set threshold (e.g., campaigns over 5,000 credits)
4. Designate approvers
5. Configure notification settings

## Cost Optimization

Reduce your messaging costs.

### Best Practices

**Choose the Right Category:**
- Use utility templates for transactional messages
- Authentication category has lowest costs
- Avoid marketing category when not needed

**Leverage Free Conversations:**
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads provide free entry
- WhatsApp QR codes offer 72-hour free window
- User-initiated conversations are cheaper

**Optimize Timing:**
- Send within existing conversation windows
- Batch messages within 24-hour periods
- Use service category for support replies

### Cost Reduction Strategies

| Strategy | Potential Savings |
|----------|-------------------|
| Proper template categorization | 30-50% |
| Using free entry points | Up to 100% |
| Batching messages | 20-40% |
| Cleaning contact lists | 10-20% |
| Time zone optimization | 5-15% |

### Cost Calculator

Estimate campaign costs:

1. Go to **Campaigns** > **New Campaign**
2. Select audience
3. Choose template
4. View estimated cost breakdown:
   - Credits per message by region
   - Total credits required
   - Compare to budget

## Enterprise Billing

Features for enterprise customers.

### Consolidated Billing

Manage billing across workspaces:

1. Navigate to **Organization** > **Billing**
2. View all workspace usage
3. Allocate credits to workspaces
4. Generate consolidated invoices

### Custom Pricing

Enterprise customers may qualify for:

- Volume-based discounts
- Custom credit packages
- Committed use discounts
- Annual payment discounts

Contact sales for custom pricing.

### Credit Allocation

Distribute credits to teams:

1. Go to **Organization** > **Credit Allocation**
2. View workspace allocations
3. Adjust distributions
4. Set automatic allocations

### Billing Reports

Generate detailed reports:

1. Navigate to **Organization** > **Reports**
2. Select report type:
   - Usage by workspace
   - Usage by department
   - Cost center analysis
   - Trend reports
3. Choose date range
4. Export to CSV or PDF

## Getting Help

### Billing Support

For billing questions:

- Email: billing@waflow.com
- In-app: **Help** > **Billing Support**
- Phone: Available for Business and Enterprise plans

### Dispute Resolution

If you believe you were charged incorrectly:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Billing** > **Support**
2. Click **Open Dispute**
3. Provide details and evidence
4. Our team will investigate within 48 hours

### Refund Policy

Credits are generally non-refundable, with exceptions:

- Technical errors causing incorrect charges
- Service outages preventing message delivery
- Billing errors on our part

## Next Steps

- [Integrations](https://edesy.in/docs/waflow/settings/integrations) - Connect external services
- [Analytics](https://edesy.in/docs/waflow/analytics) - Track campaign ROI
- [Campaigns](https://edesy.in/docs/waflow/campaigns) - Start sending messages